Vegetarian Take on Preserved Mustard and Ground Pork Pate

Family lore has it that my dad would eat 3 bowls of rice every time my grandmother cooked her Cantonese homestyle preserved mustard and ground pork pate. As much a staple as meatloaf is to an American dinner table, this steamed ground meat and minced vegetable dish can for a Cantonese raised child unfailingly unfurl nostaligic scents of a mother's care dormant in his/her hairy ofactory bank.

Many a times I've heard my dad sigh and reminisce about eating his mother's steamed mui taoy gao cheu yog. Usually every time he gets fixated on it, a day or two afterwards my mother would make it for him but as he is the only person eating meat at home these days, it makes little sense to make a whole pan for one person.

In that light, I've tested a vegetarian version that retains the essence of the dish. Instead of the ground pork, I've mixed in soft tofu, beancurd sticks, and eggs for protein and gel the components together.

For a vegan version, omit the eggs and add 1 tbs of ground brown rice powder (Vietnamese tinh) or cornstarch. 

The texture is lighter in volume as expected, the marriage of the ingredients are compatible as hoped, and the ensuing reception was surprise, delightfulness, and no leftovers.

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